Steeplechase revival in the works

OXFORD – Many driving Highway 6 west of Oxford have wondered about the story behind the massive, ornate brick wall that seems to go on forever in front of the Steeplechase subdivision.
A new chapter in that story might be in the works.
Steeplechase was created in the real estate boom of the mid-2000s. Its gated entrances, wooded lots and big-house covenants combined with Lafayette County schools and an Oxford address to aim both at Oxford professionals and the influx of executives that General Electric was expected to bring to Batesville.
When GE was delayed for a year and the real estate market turned soft, though, only a few homes had been built, and fewer sold. The developer went bankrupt, and little new work has been undertaken.
Nathan Yow, an Oxford attorney and entrepreneur who lives in Steeplechase, recently bought 67 of 88 undeveloped lots and hopes to revive its original vision.
“Starting with the brick fence and gated entrance, Steeplechase is by far the most luxurious subdivision in the Oxford area,” he boasted. “It is a short commute for professionals, families and retirees, and with a minimum lot size of 1.5 acres, residents can build the home of their dreams and still have land for a nice-size yard. The property has an Oxford address without the overcrowding and tax issues resulting from living in the city.”
Plans are for the gates to be operable within a month, and they will be closed after 10 p.m.
Despite the seeming remoteness of its location west of the Clear Creek community, Yow said the subdivision is 11 minutes from his office one block in downtown Oxford.
“It took me longer to get here when I lived in Northpointe than from Steeplechase,” he said. “It’s close enough to the hospital for a doctor to be on call.” He notes that his wife can reach her job at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in nine minutes, “but she drives a little fast.”
Yow will have a ribbon-cutting at 2 p.m. Thursday to announce the relaunch of Steeplechase. Kelly & Associates, a Gulf Coast builder known for its million-dollar Destin, Fla., homes, will be on site.
errol.castens@journalinc.com